Production Manager

ofi North America (Olam Food Ingredients); Las Cruces (NM); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

ofi North America (Olam Food Ingredients) is seeking a Production Manager to lead the production departments, manage the workforce, and ensure safe, efficient operations. The role emphasizes building leadership capability, aligning with the Plant Manager, and delivering on budgeted goals.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of manufacturing leadership, experience in food manufacturing, and strong budgeting and data-driven decision skills, with English and Spanish bilingual abilities preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Five (5) years of leadership experience leading salaried and hourly employees.
• Five (5) years of manufacturing experience; food manufacturing preferred.
• Experience managing budgets and production financial data.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Bilingual English and Spanish is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee production processes in filling, labeling and packaging areas.
• Develop and grow the leadership team; manage plant employees, hiring, onboarding and training.
• Plan, budget and achieve departmental objectives; provide data-driven insights to Plant Manager.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP and food safety regulations; coordinate with Quality.
• Monitor KPIs and seek continuous improvement opportunities to reduce costs.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Communication skills

Budgeting

Food manufacturing

SAP

Continuous improvement

Spanish

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Description

We are a global leader in food & beverage ingredients. Pioneers at heart, we operate at the forefront of consumer trends to provide food & beverage manufacturers with products and ingredients that will delight their consumers. Making a positive impact on people and planet is all part of the delight. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable and transparent supply. Supplying products and ingredients at scale is just the start. We add value through our unique, complementary portfolio of natural, delicious and nutritious products. With our fresh thinking, we help our customers unleash the sensory and functional attributes of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices so they can create naturally good food & beverage products that meet consumer expectations. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Production Manager is responsible for the overall operation of production departments and leadership of its people. This includes all functions of production departments processing raw and/or semi-processed products, filling, packaging, labeling, and corresponding workforce scheduling. The Production Manager will act in accordance with the laws and regulations, by practicing Olam values, ensuring compliance of policies, procedures, and plant rules. The ideal candidate for the Production Manager role will have a proven success record with leading, developing, and motivating teams. They should be flexible and reliable. Ability to lead a team, while also completing other demands/ projects will be required. A successful candidate for this position will enjoy working in a fast paced environment with competing demands and priorities.

Position Responsibilities

• Responsible for the management and direct oversight of the processes in production, filling, labeling, and packaging areas.
• Continuously work to develop and grow your leadership team.
• Management of plant employees, which will include salaried and hourly positions. Will be responsible for selecting candidates, onboarding, and training of new employees. Will work to set and manage expectations and will provide ongoing feedback on performance.
• Execute activities within the scope of the Production Manager to achieve departmental objectives, support business strategy, and achieve or beat the annual budget.
• Maintain and ensure effective communication with the Plant Manager and other departments leaders. Ensure feedback is provided to appropriate leadership on performance, progress, issues and concerns, and financial variances that may impact goals or budget.
• Maintain real‑time communications with other Operations department leaders ensuring problem‑free operations in Warehouse, Maintenance and Facilities.
• Partner with Quality to ensure production meets the requirements of the Quality Systems, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) rules, and that all production areas comply with audit/inspection expectations.
• Support production operations by planning and budgeting. Provide data and expert knowledge in areas of responsibility. Ensure information is factual and data driven and seek review/approval from Plant Manager.
• Ensure applicable operational processes are followed. Proactively review the established processes, identify improvement opportunities, and make recommendations to the Plant Manager.
• Ensure production areas are compliant with the established Internal Control System. Support audits, inspections, and inquiries.
• Advise on scheduling production to meet inventory goals and advise promptly when line conflicts could impact productivity and cost.
• Assist in the identification, research, proposal, implementation, and evaluation of capital investment projects.
• Integrate organizational changes and new processes. Promote operational excellence in areas of responsibility.
• Monitor and manage applicable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to sustain and improve Production areas as necessary, this can include but is not limited to: Performance Metrics, Safety, Quality, Service, Efficiency, Waste, Cost, and Savings.
• Actively seek out information to understand the operating environment and share insight gained from environmental analysis with plant management where applicable.
• Actively observe and monitor materials and labor to achieve optimum capacity and overall cost reduction.
• Ensure compliance with all Federal, State, and local regulations regarding occupational health and food safety.
• Perform food safety inspections, monitor, and assist sanitation/QA employees to ensure proper sanitation (HAACP and GMPs).
• Responsible for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for areas of responsibility.
• Familiar with SAP or similar systems.
• Familiar with continuous improvement methodologies and utilizing them to develop and improve processes and reduce gaps.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

• High school diploma is required. Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Five (5) years previous leadership experience is required. Experience should include proven success at leading salaried and hourly employees in a variety of environments.
• Five (5) years manufacturing experience is required. Experience in food manufacturing is preferred.
• Previous work experience managing budgets and production financial data is required.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbal and written, is required.
• Bilingual, English and Spanish, is highly preferred.
• Ability to work well under pressure with competing demands in a team environment is required.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at: [email protected]

At ofi, we celebrate our diversity. Olam Americas, LLC. is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.